Rio+20 policy, 100% Energy access

Access to clean, reliable and affordable energy is fundamental to poverty eradication, health, reducing environmental degradation and mitigating climate change. Energy access is essential for poverty eradication and equally important is to ensure supply of energy does not contribute to additional CO2 emissions; avoids dependence on volatile energy prices and expensive fossil fuels; avoids negative externalities and deepening of social and environmental negative effects; contributes to decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions; and is supplied through economically favourable off-grid solutions in the case of rural electricity supply. For these reasons, achieving energy access goals are best achieved through the use of renewable energy and related technologies.